


This Is Where The Dragons Lie

by TheGoodDoctor



Series: Group Targets [4]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Books, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 13:52:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8210879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGoodDoctor/pseuds/TheGoodDoctor
Summary: The air is full of rain, the cafe is full of people and the books are full of dragons.





	

Gareth yawns as discretely as possible, sending a smile at the barista who catches him and pushing his dripping hair back from his face. She passes him his coffee and takes his money with a smile. “I stuck a reserved sticker on your usual table for you,” she says. “Since it's so busy.”

He raises his eyebrows. “I didn't know you could reserve tables here.”

She shrugs. “You can't, I just wrote ‘reserved’ on a piece of paper and left it on the table.”

He laughs and drops his change into the tip collecting pot. “Very resourceful.”

Gareth winds between the tables and chairs to the window seat, shaking his head at the paper on it. He's always sat here, done his best work here, loves it here, and the baristas know it. He opens his laptop and spreads his notebooks across the surface to create the illusion of productivity. Head already in the universe he's created, he sips his scalding coffee unconcernedly and settles down to work.

* * *

“Sorry, do you mind? It's just so busy and we don't want to sit in the rain much.”

Gareth, startled into the real world, stares up at the four young people in front of him. The girl who just spoke is looking hopefully at him, while the boys flick water from their coats and hair at each other. Wordlessly he pulls his notebooks towards him to make room and she smiles gratefully at him.

There really isn't any space in the cafe and the smallest kid ends up seated on the blond’s lap while the other two share the second chair half-and-half. “I'm just saying; the motivation of Clara isn't as believable as Wesley’s,” the girl says, clearly picking up a conversation they'd already started.

Gareth tries to get back to work, but it's hard to return to the fictional world when those names crop up. “Nah,” the boy beside her says. “You have to appreciate that Clara’s in a completely unknown situation, fighting for her survival and sanity; she fixes on achievable, short-term goals in order to handle the situation.”

“But Bill, some of her plans don't make any sense,” the dark-haired boy objects.

“Exactly!” the first boy, Bill, says, leaning forward excitedly. “It shows her slow descent into insanity. Assume, for a moment, that she's going mad, right?” Bill digs in his bag, pulling out a well-thumbed paperback. Gareth can't help but frown at the cover art. He'd never liked it. Bill finds a page with remarkable ease. “‘Clara looked about her in confusion. What to do? Where was Wesley? Her family?’ See? She chooses tasks that make no sense, because she's losing her grip. It makes sense with her arc.”

The blond nods. “I'm with Bill. If anything, Eve, Wesley’s the one making nonsensical decisions.”

The boy on his lap shakes his head. “Only if you assume he's sane. James, if Bill's right, Wesley could be insane too. It's all from Clara’s perspective, remember?”

James beams. “Q, you're a genius.”

“No PDA, please,” Eve laughs. “None of the rest of us are geniuses when we make good points. Which doesn't mean I think you're right, though.”

“If only we could ask the author,” Bill frowns, and Gareth chokes upon his coffee. “Oh, gosh, are you okay?”

Gareth wheezes and flails an arm in what he desperately hopes is a reassuring gesture, but probably makes the others think he's having a fit. Q trots off to get him a glass of water and Eve passes him napkins.

James dabs gently at the laptop. “Do you think it's okay? Q can look at it if you want, he's a nerd-” He breaks off mid-sentence.

“James?” Bill says as James, wide-eyed, picks up and looks at the name on the cardboard cup that still contained half a cup of lukewarm black coffee. “Don't be weird.”

James stares at Gareth and snatches Bill’s book off the table. “I'm really sorry about him,” Eve says, as if on autopilot, as she watches James in horrified fascination. 

James thumbs mechanically to the back of the book, still holding unbroken eye contact with Gareth. His eyes flicker to the author photo briefly, then back. “Knew it,” he says with a grin. 

At this Gareth raises an eyebrow. “All this time?” Bill and Eve exchange looks.

“Yup,” James replies smugly.

“I'm sure you filled this cafe to get a seat here, too.” Q, holding a glass of water, looks between them all in confusion.

James shrugs. “The universe moves in mysterious ways to do nice things for James Bond.”

Eve leans forward, inserting a manicured hand into the beam of their staring contest. “Care to fill anyone else in?”

Gareth shakes his head at James’ determined silence. “Gareth Mallory. Pleasure to meet you all.” He holds out a hand and Eve takes it automatically.

“Uh,” she manages. “Eve, Eve Moneypenny. That's James, Q and Bill. We, um, we really like your books.”

Gareth smiles. “So I hear. Your theories are very interesting; what do you make of Pleanne?”

Q lights up. “I love Pleanne! Why can't anyone else see her?”

Bill stares at Q in shock. “Spoilers! Besides, I think she's dead, and if I'm right you'll only live in denial for months and eat nothing but plain ramen.”

Q sniffs. “I would never.”

James runs a hand through the boy’s hair. “He almost organised a funeral for the first AI.”

“She deserved better!” Q blurts, blushing lightly at the base of his neck. Eve and Bill laugh, and Gareth ducks his head to hide his grin.

“Actually, there's a point; why did you kill off Kain?” Eve says, leaning forward and making Gareth want to lean back far enough to be out of range of her; Australia, perhaps. “Aren't so many gay guys in fantasy. Why kill him?”

“Because I really didn't want to kill Wesley,” Gareth says. “Look, for the narrative to work, people had to die.”

“Kill Clara,” Eve mutters.

Bill grins. “She's the protagonist. She can't die.”

“It's that kind of attitude, William Tanner, that will get you killed when the dragons return.”

Gareth grins. “So what would you do if the dragons came?”

“Befriend them,” Bill and Q say simultaneously, as James and Eve say “Fight them.” The four look at each other suspiciously.

“Fire breathing lizards,” Eve says slowly, “and you're going for friendship is magic?”

“I know! They're so cool!” Bill beams.

* * *

_ “Oi!” A voice called. Clara spun to look, groping around behind her for Wesley’s hand. When she found it, it was slick with sweat. _

_ The voice came from a young man, well-built and blond. At his side was a smaller, but still muscular, darker lady. Both wore thick leather armour and were scarred all over, silvery in the moonlight. _

_ “We hear you're on the run from the dragons,” the girl said, musically. “Why not stand and fight?” _

* * *

_ When the dragons came, Clara noticed that the new pair, Jay and Ava, only targeted the smaller dragons on the edges of the pack. The two bigger, more destructive dragons they left alone. _

_ Wesley, buoyed up by the combat training he had received, struck out and hit the second largest. With a scream, it tumbled to the earth. _

_ The other dragons panicked and fled, bar the largest, who swept to catch and slow the other. As they grew closer, Clara saw riders on their backs; young men, like their new friends. _

_ Jay turned to Wesley furiously. “What were you thinking?”  _

_ The pair charged to the site of the fallen dragons and impulsively, Clara followed. There, the blond pulled the injured rider clear and knelt by his head. “Oh, what have you done?” he said softly. _

_ “Me?” the boy snapped. “You shot me down.” _

_ The other boy stared at Ava. “This is what you do now, is it?” he said. “We used to be friends.” _

_ Ava looked at her feet. “You chose the dragons over us, Willam.” _

_ “It didn't have to be either or, Ava.” Willam scuffed his feet on the floor and strode back to the bigger dragon. “Just don't kill his dragon, Ava. One thing for me.” The huge black beast beat its wings and ascended into the clouds. _

_ Clara looked at Ava. She was crying softly. Jay was cradling the boy, who had stopped complaining and was clinging to Jay. “Will he come back?” she asked tentatively. _

_ The injured boy wiped his eyes. “If he does,” he said, thickly, “you'll wish he hadn't.” _

* * *

“Correct me if I'm wrong, Bill, but our new friend appears to have set you up as the next villain,” Q says.

Bill looks up from his own signed copy, beaming. “I know. Isn't it great?”


End file.
